Hanford neighbors settle cheap in thyroid disease lawsuit
The federal government will reportedly be paying just $800,000 to settle 139 lawsuits claiming that living near the atomic bomb factory at Hanford, on the Columbia River in south central Washington State, gave people thyroid diseases. There are still about 1,350 such claims still pending. The litigation has dragged on in federal court in Spokane for 21 years.
| Posted at 4:46 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (1)
It sounds like they have a tough hill to climb to prove their case. Mass tort cases such as this one are notoriously expensive and difficult to prove. Federal judges also like to throw a lot of boulders into the paths of the plaintiffs which doesn't make life any easier.
"In 2005, a Spokane jury heard the cases of three hypothyroid plaintiffs who blamed Hanford for their illnesses. The jury rejected all of their claims, finding Hanford radiation was not responsible. The verdicts were overturned on appeal in 2007 based on erroneous evidentiary rulings and the cases have not been re-tried."
It sounds as though there are still several claims pending so maybe a jury will see it their way the next time around.
Posted by Usual Kevin | July 14, 2011 4:02 PM